raise any insanity issue or any competency hearing yet. and the reason they didn't is because they don't want state doctors examining holmes and looking at his medical records. so they stalled it so they get a look at the prosecutor's case which they did last week. and now of course we'll have the arraignment. now they have to make a decision. >> the clock is ticking. >> should they say he's incompetent to stand trial. low standard compared to the insanity defense. high b my bet is the young is saying we have to have state doctors look at this guy and make a determination is he competent to stand trial and secondly, they, the defense attorneys, have to decide about asserting the insanity defense. another major decision. so awful the all of these things have to be are the sorted out.

>> you'll have to return on an entire segment for what it would take to win, because there is a lot that he did that would very much mitigate any kind of defense like that. but we're flat out of time. paul callan, thank you for that. thanks for watching. newsroom international starts right now with michael holmes. welcome to newsroom international. we'll take you around the world in 60 minutes. let's start with what's going on out there. there is plenty. first, the future of the u.s. troop presence in afghanistan and the security of that country, hamid karzai having lunch with president obama this hour. the two leaders hold a news conference in the next hour. president karzai's visit will help determine how many u.s. troops will remain in afghanistan after the drawdown in 2014.

chris lawrence joins us. the white house floated the idea of a zero option, if you like, leaving no troops behind in afghanistan. what's the pentagon think of that and a lot of these people say that really complaint hean'. >> i would say at this point everything is probably still on the table, but you're right, that number zero definitely raise some had eyebrows inside the pentagon. in fact during a press conference yesterday, leon panetta said the stronger position that we take about staying committed and staying in afghanistan, you know, that's how we're going to ultimately get a political reconciliation. in other words, he felt that signaling that the u.s. may pull out all of its troops would weaken the negotiating position about those negotiations with the taliban ever got started again. now, the taliban, that's been one of their demands.

all u.s. troops leave afghanistan after 2014. and there are some who feel the white house 234r0floated this io sort of, you know, lay the ground work to get some perhaps concessions on some other issues that are important to the white house. in other words, more of a negotiati negotiati negotiating ploy. >> it's been a tense relationship on many occasions. be interesting to know how this meeting goes in that regard. also he's the guy they have to deal with. he's the only player they really can deal with. but the reality is he still doesn't run much of afghanistan in the real world environment. and the lingering allegations of corruption, nepotism, hangs over his head. >> his brother and father were assassinated, so in some ways he's also trying to stay alive

in that country. and facing that possibility, as well. it's been a contentious relationship with karzai over the years. he's had better relationships with some of the generals there like general stanley mcchrystal than he has with others. and i talked with pentagon officials yesterday who were saying they weren't sure how these meetings were going to go because you just never know when you're dealing with president karzai what you're going to get. and in fact i even e-mailed a couple days ago the folks i met in afghanistan during previous trips and they were somewhat concerned, as well, saying they weren't exactly sure what karzai was going to say while he was here with president obama because a lot of people in afghanistan especially some of the leaders there still very much want u.s. troops because they're fully aware that the afghan forces are not going to be ready by the end of next year. >> absolutely. and certainly they need a lot of money to stay at the levels that they're at, as well. chris, appreciate it. one of the main goals of course for the u.s. is making sure that

afghanistan doesn't again become a safe haven for terrorists. the u.s. also wants to see a sovereign afghanistan that can govern itself, move forward in some measure of security. let's bring in retire the army general to talk about some of the challenges. appreciate you being here, sir. there's a lot of discussion about these troop numbers, how many should remain at the end of combat operations. these figures from zero up to 15,000. but it all depends on what the mission is, doesn't it? if you're going to have a narrow koi counterterrorism option, you'll need guys on the ground. but do you need 15,000? zero seems to be really a bargaining chip, would you agree? >> i think so. but if you actually add up the numbers that it would take if you want to continue to keep the mission going, that number isn't unreasonable at 15,000. i think we all recognize we'll get something between zero and 15,000.

but the higher number quite frankly may be closer to what is correct than the lower number. >> we're talking about the role then again. how do you see the role of those troops in afghanistan, president karzai wants them to focus on that training. u.s. troops, really if they'll carry out the anti-terror aspect of this, afghanistan is a good base to do that from. who is likely to prevail in term of the role of those troops? >> well, at the end of the day, it's the decision of president karzai, but i think you and i both recognize and most military objectively recognize that the afghan forces aren't really truly ready for an independent mission all by themselves without the kind of training, assistance, logistic support and in some cases artillery and air support that could be provided by u.s. an other coalition forces. >> we had mentioned the visit is very cordial and very official and the like, but the u.s. has had a troubled history, it has been tense between him and

president obama, as well. these issues of nepotism and corruption, i mean, every time i go there, i hear more stories about corruption in particular. what do you make of him as a partner in getting things done? >> well, it is clear that we've got to understand the afghan way of doing business and the u.s. way of doing business. and he is at the end of the day afghan, and so he is going to do whatever he can. chris mentioned not only was his father and brother killed, but his predecessor in the job under the russians was pulled out, dragged behind a truck, horribly abused and then hung by piano wire from a traffic light. he certainly recognizes that history of what happens after a country pulls out. and i'm sure that weighs heavily on him. >> and to that point about the corruption angle, a former diplomat said leaked documents confirmed those concerns

including the claim that president car are sooi stole the last election. just have a listen. >> correctly seen as illegitimate as many afghans and by people around the world. he runs a corrupt regime. his vice president according to these documents had $53 million in cash going to dubai. there is no legitimate explanation for the vice president of a country running off with $53 million. another of these documents appointments out that his half brother is involved in the drug trade. and then there are of course the accounts of karzai himself as being emotional, unstable, suggestions that he uses drugs. >> a lot of allegations there, but i think to the point is whether president karzai can be trusted in a way to run his own country or is he the only game in town, and regardless of troop

numbers, there will be billions of dollars needed to run the army that is now being built up by the u.s. and nato. >> that's right. at the nato conference, they pledged to at least ten years of providing beginning $4.1 billion a year, $2.5 billion of that coming from the u.s. but i think it's important for us to recognize as we criticize president karzai, we're not there for the benefit of president karzai. we're there for the benefit of the united states. as long as there is a threat that comes from afghanistan, al qaeda, as long as afghanistan could be in the future used as a potential safe haven against people in the united states, we're there, we have to recognize that we're there.safee united states, we're there, we have to recognize that we're there. and we have to remember first principles. we're there for the defense of the american mainland and american people.

>> always good to get your thoughts. appreciate it, sir. >> take care. in december russias passed a law banning u.s. adoptions. that left hundreds in limbo wondering what were happening to the children they were already in the process of adopting. now there may be some hope for those people. one problem after another this week if boeing 787 dream liner. now the u.s. government weighing in. also coming up, it is the first and only exhibition of its kind to ever tour the united states featuring 150 mummies. fr r. clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach.

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u.s. and company officials are opening an investigation into the boeing 787 dream liner, this announcement coming after a series of problems with the aircraft over recent dwas. just today in fact oil was discovered leaking from a generator of an engine at an airport in southern japan. there was also the crack that appeared in the cockpit window of another dream liner jet in flight over japan. in boston early this week, takeoff was aborted for a dream liner after a pilot on another plane spotted fuel leaking from the wing. the day before, a maintenance worker discovered an electrical fire on an empty japan airlines dream liner. quite a list. ali velshi live in new york. p really is quite a list. the head of the faa, u.s. transportation secretary, head of bowieing complete announcing

this investigation. what does all this mean for boeing? >> we're trying to make sense of it. you can see the boeing stock down about 3%. i just of that to have this in front of me. down 3% in the last week. which isn't terrible. it's not 10%. so i would say there are two takeaways here. one is secretary ray lahood, the transport secretary, said this morning the plane's safe, i would have no reservation in boarding one of these. i agree. i've flown a couple. this is very embarrassing. richard quest was just here, he's more of an expert on planes than you and i are. and he said this is just remarkably embarrassing. such an anticipated plane, it took so long to build, all sort of delays in putting it together.weird part is that a lot of the stuff is happening with japanese planes. i don't understand what that's got to do with anything, but it is weird that it was jal and pi

nchn pinnipon airlines. united is the only one in the united states that flies these at the moment. the list is -- they're not all the same thing. they're kind of different. so unclear. they'll look at the mechanics on these things, but the faa and transportation department saying they're not unsafe, but they have something they have to find out about these planes. >> i think the japan airlines are the ones that bought the most of them, so probably that's why they're turning up there. >> right. >> it's not going to doom it, is it, from a business sense. >> no, no, first of all there's lots of redundancies. planes don't do bad things. the problem is that boeing has 800 of these things on order. so that's where the problem starts coming in if people say, yeah, i don't really want this plane. but i will tell you this, plane is fascinating. the dream liner is more highly pressurized than a normal plane because it's made of composite materials which means it feels

more like earth which means you don't feel the effects of flying as much, it's humidified, lighting control, comfortable, quiet, fuel efficient. so people have bought this plane and haven't taken orders, they want this to work. and new plane introductions do take a long time. it does take a couple of years. the problem with this one is it was just mired in problems for so long that more problems make it that much more troublesome. >> and if you get a bunch in a week, it will have an impact. ali, always good to chat. looking dapper at always. >> thank you, sir. we have news coming into us, the venezuelan vice president, ma maduro, he's heading to havana in a few hours to see chavez. chavez missed his will inauguration ceremony yesterday. he's having treatment for cancer. one of the big mysteries of this is nobody really knows exactly

what sort of cancer, exactly what the condition of his health is. so it's interesting that the vp is going over to see him at the moment. there's been several other latin american leaders popping in over the last day or so, as well. keeping an eye on that. all right. not all mummies are kings or queens of egypt. there is a rare collection touring america. we'll talk to the producer when we come back. dysfunction - you know,that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache.

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the largest collection of mummies in the world is touring.

everything from a monkey dressed in a feathered skirt as one does to a 6400-year-old mummy of a child. also a woman sitting in a crouch just before her death. all very bizarre, isn't it. joining me now is the producer of the mummies of the world exhibit. when you think about mummy, perhaps the ones that come from egypt leap to mind, but this has mummies from all over the world. how did it all come together? >> that's right, michael. most people when they think of mummies, they think of egypt and wrap. but they come from all other than the world. some intentionally and some accidentally due to the dry climate or a cave. we became aware of a collection in a museum in germany that was found in 1994 known as the german mummy project and we contacted the museum back in 2008 and we're very fortunate to create the largest exhibition of real mummies ever assembled. we have 21 loaning organizations

in seven european countries that loaned us this collection to bring this to the united states. >> a lot of people, it would seem macabre. but what do we learn from mummies? >> it's amazing. through modern science tools, we're able to learn about ancient people's civilizations. when people see mummies, who are they, where do they come from. it's a story waiting to be told. we are able to tell the age, the sex, how they lived, how they died. it's really an amazing exhibition. unlike hollywood myth, these mummies won't come out and get you. in fact they're awesome. just a breathtaking exhibition. >> that's what you say. what's your favorite? >> well, we have the youngest infant ever on display. a 6420-year-old infant radio carbon dating, $3,000 older than

king tut. and what's interesting about this, it's a natural or what you would call accidental mummy from peru. such a beautiful, beautiful specimen, still has all of its hair, its facial expressions, it toenail, fingernails. very popular mummy. we also have the votch family, a mother, father and son. these mummies were found in a church in budapest during 18th century. the town was decimated in the white plague. the church floor boards popped occupy and due to the cool dry area under the floor boards, they were naturally mummified. what's interesting is they were able to be studied and scientists using ancient dna were able to determine what was then known as the white plague

as tuberculosis. >> fascinating stuff. marcus, thanks for that. producer of the mummies of the world exhibit. appreciate your time. >> thank you very much. he was a beloved icon in great britain, but now the life of jimmy sav vchlsaville is nat grief. alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth!

the worst has been confirmed in an investigation of one of britain's most famous tv and radio stars, the late jimmy saville. police say he sexually abused hundreds of people and carried

out more than 30 rapes, this taking place over several decades. you may not know his face here in the united states, but from the '60s to the '80s, saville was a fixture in british homes. he raise the millions of dollars for children's hospitals. but it turns out he was a predatory child an brucer who even abused children in hospital wards on one occasion in a hospice. victims and witnesses have all come forward now years later. >> he asked me for oral sex. and i didn't want to. and he promised me if i gave him oral sex, he would arrange for me and my friends to be on his

television show. >> unfortunately, this lady i think had brain damage because she just sat there and he kissed her and i thought he was a visitor coming to see her. and he started ripping his -- i don't know of a nice way to put it, but he molested her and she just sat there and couldn't did anything about it. >> the details of hits sex abuse crimes are vile as you heard there. matthew johnson is outside london scott lanyard, joins us -- back in our studio, i think. matthew, prosecutors admit that they could have brought him to trial before his death in 2011, but failed to do so. why did they hold off, what's

the background that's revealed in this report? >> an interesting question because there were a number of opportunities that the police had to hold him to account to bring to justice before he died in 2011. but they didn't do that. the crime prosecution service have apologized saying too much caution was used by the police when they dealt with the complaints they received first of all back in 2007. partly because of the aura of celebrity around jimmy saville and he managed to hide behind that over this long career of abuse. the report identifies the real extent of this that it reveals. between 1955 and 2009, the police have documented 450 complaints against jimmy

saville. 214 of them have been recorded formally as cases of abuse, including 34 rapes. the diversity of the victims as well is quite noticeable in the sense that the age diversity is quite a lot, the youngest victim eight years oold, the old onnes victim 47 years old. 82% of the victims were female. the rest male. so diverse sectors in all ranges of environments. >> and as you say, really harness that culture of celebrity and in many ways was protected by it. he was closely involved of course with the bbc. because he was their big star for, what, 40 years or so. what has happened at the bbc in response to all of this?

>> there's been a real scandal at the bbc. there's been all sorts of internal inquiries as to how this could have happened over the decades during which it happened. there's been a review of the procedures because it's emerge that had a program that was meant to identify some of these allegations against jimmy saville was effectively killed by senior management. so it's been an extraordinarily difficult period for the bbc as well as the other organizations at which he understood this abuse. >> and indeed some of the cases did happen at the bbc. just terrible stuff. thanks so much for bringing us this report. really has been a huge story in

great britain. good news in for some american couples in the process of adopting russian children. a russian law banning adoptions by americans signed by president putin just last month whethill be put into place for one year. what that means is this, some of those adoptions can proceed. the ones already in process. and that gives families who were so close some new hope. jenny and josh are in the process and they join us live via scope from dover, new jersey. i think we just lost you. are you there? no, not there. we will try to get them back. when we come back, we'll talk about the flu. i'm here because suzanne has it. 47 of 50 states, maybe some relief in sight. we'll have a live report from the centers of disease control and prevention. ♪

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united states experiencing its worst flu season in three years, but the cdc says the situation may be starting to improve. check out a map. the number of states reporting widespread outbreaks there in

red. we're talking about the whole country, aren't we. 47 states. california, mississippi, hawaii and the district of columbia are only reporting regionalout breaks. at least 125 have died. among the victims, 20 children. now, the positive news is that flu activity has slowed and they believe that's because it's started here in that area the earliest. so it's running out of steam. dr. sanjay gupta joining us now. let's talk about why this is. >> you see some decline in some parts of the country, but also increases in other parts of the country which is sort of what you'd expect. the flu is here as you point out, 47 states. want to bring in head of the cdc influenza division.

thanks for joining us. you've been giving these press conferences. you can talk a little bit about the numbers that michael and i are discussing? we've seen some declines, some increases. how do you put it all together? >> i think we put it all together by just saying there's lots of flu around. we're seeing it in almost every part of the country and lots of it. so we do think that the earl already signs that the southeast may be going down are hopeful but the message is there's still lots of flu around. we expect it to be around for several more weeks. but still not too late to get vaccinated. >> and this is not a trend. we need more data. but one thing that comes up a lot is the scary projections on number of deaths. you hear 50,000 people. we know of 20 pediatric deaths, two more confirmed over the last

week. you can reconcile these numbers for snus? 50,000? >> we don't know how many deaths are occurring this year. we one know until the end of the season. we do know flu severity is quite variable. and if you look back over the last 20 or so years, somewhere between 3,000 deaths in mild years to around 50,000 deaths or more in severe years owe kir in threw. it's a reminder that flu is a serious disease and although most 6 us will get it and get better on our own without the need for medications or hospitalization, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized even year and thousands or tens of thousands will die. so we really do want people to get vaccinated or treated. >> and last question about that point regarding treatment, this is a virus, not a bacteria. so you don't use antibiotics. but there are a couple of antivirals out there. a report this morning seemed to indicate there is a fair amount of resistance, meaning these

antivirals just aren't working very well. is that true, and if so, what is the treatment? >> no, fortunately, its neat true actually. the two recommended antiviral medications, tamiflu, work well. none of the viruses are resistance to these medications. so the medications should work very well this year. and so if you didn't get your flu vaccine or even if you did and you get sick with a flu-like illness, talk to your doctor about whether you need to be treated about. >> it can shorten the duration some. >> that's right. may decrease your chance of getting a complicated or severe illness. >> okay. doctor, thanks a lot. >> i'm here because suzanne is off sick. and if you see don lemon on the way out taking over at the top of the hour, do not shake his

hand. he's not well. >> i'm going to tell him to go home. >> no, then i'll have to stay. >> all right. >> good to see you. stay well, everyone. wash your hands. i want to go back to a story we started to bring you earlier about that ban on u.s. adoptions in russia. jenny and josh johnson are in the process of adopting a little girl. we have you back via skype from dover, new jersey. good to get you back. jenny, let's start with you. are you encouraged by this announcement somehow did the original announcement impact you? >> i was running my kids around all day yesterday and so when it first came out, it was this big wonderful thing and everybody was really excited. and i thought, okay, this is it, we'll bring home my baby. and then the rule our mill started flying and i've heard things that only people who have gone to court will get to bring their kids home. so there's a lot of back and

forth. >> so josh, how far along are you in the process? >> we're pretty close to the end of the process right now. we have to take a total of three trips in to russia. we've taken our first trip. we've petitioned the court to adopt. and we got to spend four days with our future daughter. we're waiting on hour next trip which is the court date and the third trip we get to bring her home. >> have you heard anything from russian officials yet? >> we've heard nothing through official channels. everything is rumor mill but there seems to be gaps in all the details. so we actually have a conference call tonight with the department of state that will give information to affected families. so hopefully at the end of that, we'll it though better where we stand. >> fingers crossed. jen any jenny, tell us about your little girl. >> she is i would say spunky and

she is -- she's wonderful. she's a tough little girl. she's been through a lot and she still has this amazing personality. and we promised her before we left that we were coming back to get her. she has pictures of our family, she has pictures of our house. she knows where she's going. and this could still keep us from coming back it get her. we would be breaking our promise to a 4-year-old. that's really hard to live with. >> hopefully that won't happen and this change by the russians to hopefully allow cases like yours that are in process to go ahead actually happens. we wish you well, jenny and josh johnson, in getting that little girl there back here. appreciate your time. >> thank you. well, from the dusty streets of south africa to the neon lights of broadway. meet a composer best known for his work on the lion king. that's still to come. waeb

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among the cutting edge products at this year's consumer electronics show, hd televisions, but not just any old hdtv. the next jep vakxt generation i ultra h dcd and delivers revolun four time what is you have now. the picture is so detailed on these new sets it looks like 3d to the naked eye. now, the improbable rise of a young boy in south africa to a prestigious member of the u.s. music industry. at just 9, he left school and started his career as a singer. in the '90s, disney came calling. ♪

>> reporter: the powerful voice in the opening moments of the lion king belongs to this man. he grew up in south africa, his unique musical intuition led him to los angeles where he established himself as a south african musician. he captured the spirit of africa. >> it's not an animation. the lear cyrical inspiration is visualizing nelson mandela becoming president at the same time when simba takes over. so a personal journey. >> reporter: during the making of the film, they wrote so much music that an executive at disney decided to put out an album titled rhythm of the pride lands. film theater and opera director

heard it and wanted to talk with him. >> i became heavily involved in setting up the process for south africans all over the world because we decided early on that to keep the inspiration of what you felt in the movie and needed to have central to the cast, south africans performing in the lion king in order for the work that i did to come up more and more in person, that's what julia wanted. julia wanted in your face south african and african inspiration that drove the movie sound track. i'm very grateful and appreciate -- >> reporter: even though his arrangements have won him a gram grammy, he's a performer at heart and working on a tour. >> i believe the biggest challenge for south africans specifically is how to we continue to define ourselves in the global community as part of the world community, but this is who we are and this is a product

that we create for the world to enjoy, that is in essence african, but inspiration from all over the world. >> and live there johannesburg, good to see you. he's had such an illustrious career. what's next for him? >> good to see you, too. as we mentioned, he's now getting back to his original passion, performing his own music live. he's in the planning stages of a world tour, also doing this victory lap as a co-composer of the broadway show for the lion king. 15 years running now. what i found most interesting is as successful as he is now, it all started with one thing, trying to get the attention of girls. he said that back in school, he was no good at sport, wasn't a good athlete, so the way to get the most attractive girls' attention was to sing and perform. and he also was inspired by u.s. hip hop and soul music. and in fact when he came to los angeles to work on his music, he

actually realized how unique he was being from south africa. so in the case of lebo m, you could say girls and hip hop helped make the man. >> that's why you and i went into television. good to see you. appreciate it. great story. >> sure. take care. p. it is a new year. have you started planning your summer vacation yet? our travel expert has a list of the best hotelses s tto visit 2013. ♪ if loving you is wrong ♪ i don't wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it's not bad for you. it just tastes that way. [ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal -- heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can't go wrong loving it.

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planning to travel in 2013? don't book it up you check out this month's issue of travel and leisure magazine. readers have weighed in on their favorite hotels around the world based on rooms, locations, service, food, and all-important value, as well. senior correspondent for travel and leisure magazine joining me now from new york. good to see you. the magazine lists 500 best hotels. tell us about some of them. >> every january our very well traveled readers tell us the best 500 hotels and i'm here to tell you a few new ones that have made it on to the list. they're very discerning. so it's nice when they let a new prop on to the list. the first one that i slulove is

venice. the location could not be better. you're right on the grand canal, but you're away from the crowds. this is 15th century property that has been updated, but not spoiled, which means you'll get beautiful classic very chic italian style, you'll get some incredible baroque and renaissance paintings. lap of luxury experience, exactly what you want when you're in venice. >> yes, i remember that room well. no, i think cnn put us up in a tent last time. what were the amenities most attractive to your readers? what is it that they liked about these places the most? >> as you said, they rate them on a lot of different things. and so different hotels certainly if you have a great location, a great waterfront location is an ideal thing for our reareds. for example the hotel in cape town that is new to the list,

victorian alfred, has a location that cannot be beat. not only are you on the waterfront, but you have views of table mountains. if you're going to book a room, i had suggest the odd numbers rooms, the rooms with the views. reersd te readers tell us exactly what you should book. you'll have access to what the readers have rated as among the best. top four in the word, picturesque, the people are friendly, definitely a place to check out. >> good surf, too. what were some of the biggest concerns that people had with hotels? >> i think the main concern that people have is that they'll have the comfort and have great lighting and make sure that they'll get their room service in time and certainly value as you said is an issue.

so which is a reason why the property that won -- that was added in turks and caicos really did well because turks and caicos is a destination as thought of as being expensive. so readers voted for this property because what they loved about it was that it was on this beautiful location and the best part is that you get two for one. not only at the ocean club resorts, you get two hotels, and you get to use both facilities. so if you're staying at one, the other one is 15 minutes away. and what i love about this property is that it's great for families. so a lot of the rooms have kitchenettes, washers and dryers. so if you're looking for a barefoot luxury experience that doesn't break the bank, this is a great place to go. >> my neighbor was recommending it, too. so i'm making notes here.

>> maybe they voted on our awards list. >> may well have done. always good to see you. >> great to see you, too. >> what a job, goodness. thanks. >> i just need to surf now. >> i'll teach you. all right. now, this, check this out, this is from my homeland. looks like something you might see on mars. but, no, it wasn't. we'll tell you what it is when we come back. well, i didn't rea. see, i figured low testosterone would decrease my sex drive... but when i started losing energy and became moody... that's when iad an honest conversation with my doctor. we discussed all the symptoms... then he gave me some blood tests. showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number -- not just me. [ale announce] today, men with low t showed it was low t. have androgel 1.62% (testosterone gel). the #1 prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy, increases testosterone when used daily. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor

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police in sydney, australia are warning, quote, more ron arson nirestis sonnis arsonists will be caught. this is one of the worst fire seasons in new south wales history. the country has a total fire ban in place because of these dangers. late monsoon season isn't helping. more than 100 fires are burning in new south wales alone. others in victoria and also tasmania. hundreds of homes destroyed, families displaced. but remarkably no deaths yet reported. some injuries, no deaths. got some pictures for you now that a huge red wall of duts

towering off the coast of western australia. meteorologists say a storm picked up tremendous amounts of sand and dust as it passed over the land and a cyclone several hundred miles away stirred up severe weather in the area, too. it all came together to form that incredible wall of dust. and a cnn's staffer's experiment to get his own pictures out of souter space ended in a crash landing, but some pretty fantastic pictures. we have some shots from one of the video cameras that we've set up with a gps, a phone and microphone on weather balloon south of atlanta. i didn't, we have per notion use t permission to use the weather balloons. the entire pack package, though ended up crashing after floating

in space for a little while. check it out. the camera was on a free-fall 12 miles back to earth and we didn't get the video actually until six months later. someone found it in their backyard. and so we got it all back. that's it for me. newsroom continues now with don lemon who hopefully will get well soon. >> much better now. someone needs to check the weather balloons. i think we were sabotaged. thank you, michael. appreciate the good wishes. i'm don lemon. this hour, winding down the war this afghanistan and figuring out how many u.s. troops will remain there. president obama meeting with hamid karzai at the white house discussing afghanistan after the 2014 troop drawdown.

they'll hold a news conference th in about 15 minutes and we'll carry it live. the suspect in the colorado movie theater shooting won't be arraigned just jeyet. the judge postponed it until march to allow holmes' attorneys more time to go over evidence. the judge feared if it moved too a quickly, the case could end up in appeal. >> so far the court has yesterday ruled that there is probable cause to hold the defendant for these charges for trial. he's also found there is proof evident presumption great and that is sufficient to hold him in custody without the benefit of bond throughout these proceedings. >> james holmes faces 166 charges in the july rampage that left 12 dead and dozens injured. who are talks on how to curb gun violence going on.

next hour vice president joe biden will meet with representations of the video game industry. he's been meeting with people on various sides of the issue and says many groups are pushing for universal background checks and action on high capacity magazines, but the nra described yesterday's talks as an agenda to attack the second amendment. former head of a movie industry group argue that had movies don't cause violence. biden says his task force will deliver recommendations to president obama by tuesday. we're seeing new gun related violence including an overnight hostage at a los angeles mall. two armed men held 14 people inside a store for several hours and lapd s.w.a.t. team surrou surrounded the area and put a theater with 200 movie goers on lockdown until about 3:00 this morning. but the armed men got away. fortunately, though, the hostages are safe. also in california, students at taft union high school are being counseled today after a

16-year-old boy shot at two of his classmates. authorities say the gunman planned the attack the night before and entered the school armeded with a 12 gauge shotgun that belonged to his brother. he was targeting two classmates because he felt he had been bullied. one student was shot and is in critical but stable condition. the other was not hit. a teacher talked the shooter into handing over his gun. he suffered a pellet wound to his head during the shooting. he and the school's campus supervisor are being called heros now. >> this teacher and this counselor stood there face to face, not knowing whether he'll turn that shotgun on them because they seen the news media throughout our country in the last several months and they probably expected the worst and hoped for the best, but they gave their students a chance to escape and it worked. >> parents of students at the school describe the gunman as a troubled youth who was expelled last year, but allowed back. the school has an armed police

officer but heavy snowfall in the area prevented him from getting to school that day. we now know when it comes to gun control laws there is a patch work of very different restrictions from state to state. sometimes even city to city. and jason carroll has a tale of two cities and the different ways they work with state government on gun control. >> reporter: the new year under way and already in new york city three police officers shot in two different incidents. philadelphia, steven johnson, a temple university student, shot during an argument. he's among that city's first homicides of 2013. he was also this woman's cousin. >> children are dying on the streets for no reason whatsoever. >> reporter: even beforeler cousin's death, she was mourning the lot of her son, shot two years ago, he was 19. >> anger and rage rise to the surface because there has to be something that we can do as a nation to get these guns off the

streets. >> reporter: in order to battle crime, cities such as new york and philadelphia have looked to strengthen their gun control laws and new york has done so, it 4has some of the strictest gn control laws in the country, including assault weapon bans, restrictions on am humunition cs and background checks. a law was overturned by a state court. >> the state has taken the position that they should be be the only ones who can legislate in the area of gun safety and gen l. gun regulations. many of us have a very different position. >> reporter: a key difference, new york city and new york state are on the same legislative page. pennsylvania and philadelphia, worlds apart. >> philadelphia unfortunately has not had the same support

from the legislature in parisburg and we see the ipgt pakts in philadelphia. >> reporter: in 2011, philadelphia saw 17 gun related murders for 100,000 people. new york city, four per 100,000. mayor nutter says he will propose stricter gun control measures again. those opposed to it would say this. >> would be interested if they have the courage to come with me and explain to the police officer who got killed, hair spouse or their child or their parents that it was the murder we could have stopped and we dnd have the courage to do. >> my son could still be here had it not been for someone with a sxwgun. >> mayor nutter, will he be able to get the legislation to stick this time. we reached out to the governor of pennsylvania, he released a statement, i'll read part of it, it says if they were able to

craft gun laws in philadelphia, it would not prevent criminals from obtaining those guns elsewhere and bringing them into philadelphia. our state laws must be uniform when it comes to gun regulations. the translation is the mayor is looking at an uphill battle. >> do stricter gun laws necessarily translate into less crime or less murders? look at chicago, very strict gun laws. p. >> and xlig chicago is a very g can example. i think a lot of experts would agree that rahm emanuel would like to see stricter gun legislation enacted in his city, but he's looking at push back from the state, as well. if you look at statistics, new york compare to ing to philadel it would appear the gun laws in new york city seem to work in terms of reducing crime when u compare to philadelphia. . >> thank you for the report.

u.s. and company officials are opening an investigation into the dream liner after a series of problems. just today a leak of oil was discovered and a crack appeared in a dream liner jet in flight over japan. but areray lahood says there is reason to worry. >> i believe this plane is safe and i would have no reservation of boarding one of these planes and taking a flight. >> boeing's dream liner first went in to service in october of last year. we turn now to north korea where visits by westerners are rare. a country where ordinary people barely get enough to eat. bill richardson and google executive eric schmidt had just returned from north korea. one of their messages to the

country, open up access to the internet and expand cell service. richardson spoke to cnn just a short tim ainge aing e ago. >> we talked to students, to teachers to ordinary people. so i think it was a very valuable visit. because we don't talk to the north koreans. p i've negotiated with them for about 15 years successfully in a variety of fronts. they invited me, we went on a private humanitarian mission. we were only there two days. but we delivered our messages. >> richardson and schmidt travelled to north korea despite objection from the state department which called the trip ill timed. after five terms in the senate, jay rock if i recall calli rockefeller calling it quits. he's great grand son of john d. rockefeller who once was the richest man in the country. he said in part, as i approach 50 years of public service, i've

decided that 20 20 14 will be the right moment for me to find new ways to fight for the causes i believe in and to spend more time with my incredible family. republican congressman shelly moore says she will run for rockefeller's seat. as for democrats, one source acknowledges their pool of candidates is not very deep. as i told you at the top of the broadcast, we'll carry the joint news reference by president obama and hamid karzai live for you at the white house. you see them getting set up there. it's been a busy morning for the afghan president. he's met with reporters and leon pa nett panetta. our coverage continues right after this. we have sacrificed together, that has created a bond that will not be broken in the future. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses,

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i'm wolf blitzer in washington. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we're waiting for a joint news conference by president obama and the afghan president, hamid karzai. you're looking at live pictures from the east room of the white house. it's expected to begin in just a few minutes. the two leaders have been meet to go to discuss the u.s.

military troop presence in afghanistan after 2014. also the future security of the country. joining us now to talk about president karzai's visit to washington, what's at stake for the united states, what's at stake for afghanistan, our white house correspondent brianna keilar, chief political analyst gloria borger, chris lawrence, and richard haass, author of the book foreign policy begins at home. let's go to the east room of the white house first. they've been meeting now for a while. set the scene for us. i know one of the key issues involves any u.s. military presence in afghanistan after all u.s. troops are supposed to be out by the end of 2014. that's right. and it has been cordial reception as he comes here today for bilateral meetings that have already taken place as well as a

work lunch with president obama and the vice president and then he'll be wrapping up his day here with the press conference. but that cordiality which we saw here today and also when karzai met with secretaries clinton and panetta be llies in tension ove the past few years. some very serious issues that are being discussed today and that we will hear questions asked of both president obama and president karzai in that does does to do of course with u.s. troops remaining in afghanistan beyond 2014. the question is if any remain in the country and if so, how many. and as the u.s. has sought to seek some concessions for afghanistan in this process, they've floated the idea of their being zero troops in the country. of course there's also a concern from the u.s. that this would leave the country vulnerable, but at this point, they also are trying to negotiate with president khazcakarzai

of afghan detainees under u.s. control, something very much of concern to president karzai, and also whether any troops remaining after 2014 would be subject to afghan courts and laws. >> stand by. chris lawrence is here. chris, there are right now 66,000 u.s. troops, part of a larger nato military presence in afghanistan. u.s. taxpayers still shelling out maybe $100 billion a year to keep that military presence in afghanistan. they're all supposed to be out by the event of 02014. the pressure is enormous to get them out even more quickly for financial reasons and other reasons. is that likely to be accepted by sources you're talking to over at the pentagon? >> well, i think one thing is as i look at this statement that will come out, the word sustainable keeps popping up over and over again. and sustainable means money, can we pay for this over the long run. when you look at the fact that

the u.s. will be kicking in about $2 billion a year to sustain the afghan forces, that's in addition to any other aid that the u.s. gives. this could very well be a fairly sizable commitment if president karzai is going to get what he wants, which is a lot of support for a long number of years. >> and given the financial interests right now, gloria borger, given the fact that the u.s. has some major budget deficits, is there a political appetite here in the united states to continue to shell out $2 billion a week to keep that strategic presence in afghanistan? >> in one word answer, no. the president is facing the prospect of mandatory cuts in pentagon spending. if you look at the polling, over half of the american public believes things are not going well in afghanistan, there's no real appetite to continue to spend that kind of money there. and i think the question that the president is asking his

advisers and will be talking it karzai about or has talked to karzai about is just how large a force do you need to carry out the objective. and the objective is training and counterterrorism. and do you need 3,000 to 9,000 troop, do you need 15,000 troops, do you need no troops and just kind of a minimal force there, and what can you do -- how large a group of people do you need there in order not to alienate the people of afghanistan? >> and what's who amore importa the united states. is it training more afghan forces or battling counterterrorism. and i think that will be a key question because the interests of the united states in afghanistan may diverge on this. i've heard from some sources that president karzai would prefer that any troops that stay focused on training his forces which bolster the afghan army,

consolidates his power, whereas the u.s. may want to focus more on a counterterrorism piece. and when you look at it, for every year that a soldier marine is in afghanistan, it costs $1 million per man. so even a small force of 3,000, that's $3 billion a year. >> and ririchard haass, if the were to completely pull out after 2014 with a zero troop presence in afghanistan, just like traffiraq right now, what be the difference? >> not a whole lot. we could use drones or special forces. i thinks biggest effect is it would work against the training op of afghan police and army and it would be a psychological and political blow to the afghan, it would be a little bit of a fill up to the taliban. and just like we've seen in iraq in some ways get worse without any u.s. presence, my hunch is

afghanistan will get worse for matter what the size of the u.s. presence is. but if there's zero american 3re7bs, it will probably accelerate the downward trend in that country. >> all right. everyone stand by. we're waiting for the president of the united states and the president of afghanistan, they've been meeting in the oval office, they're about to walk over to the east room for a joints news conference. they'll both be making opening statements and then they'll be answering reporters' questions. our special coverage continues. 

we're awaiting the president of the united states and president of afghanistan. they've been meeting in the oval office, but they soon will be holding a joint news conference in the east room of the white house. they've been discussing the future of u.s./afghan reliation, future of u.s. military presence, economic assistance, all sorts of important issues involving afghanistan. brianna keilar is over at the white house. are there top aides yet in the east room? i don't know if you can see because usually that's a sign that the presidents are about to walk in. >> reporter: i don't see any at this point. >> i see a lot of empty chairs so clearly they're not there yet. once those chairs are filled, it will only be a few minutes i suspect. chris lawrence, one of the most

depressing things we've seen in afghanistan from the u.s. perspective more than a decade after the u.s. went in there to try to clean up al qaeda destroyed taliban, if you will, the taliban leadership, is that all of these years later, so many billions of dollars spent, so many lives lost, u.s. troops can't even go out on joint combat maneuvers with afghan officials because they don't trust them because so many of these afghan military officers and regular troops have killed americans and other nato allies. >> that's right. i mean, to be fair, wolf, the number of those so-called green on blue attacks, it has dropped since it hit a high at the end of the summer. but you're right -- >> have they resumed joint maneuvers? >> they have. but in a lot of cases, the u.s. forces now have what they call sort of guardian angels in which you have troops specifically set aside to sort of watch over those who are working with the

afghans. just an unfortunate byproduct. >> an important part of this is the really tense relationship that does exist between the president of the united states and our foreign policy apparatus and hamid karzai. there has always been problems with corruption in that government, with fraud. neither side considers the other side reliable enough. thus wo so that will have an impact. how much blood and treasure do you want to spend over there when this president doesn't have the support of the american people for that. and when in fact there have been these kinds of issues even when we do train their forces. >> richard haass, i've better viewed president karzai on many occasions going back to 2001 when he was just getting ready to take over. he always says the right things to me, says the right things to westerners. but i know there's been deep it

is trust among top u.s. officials. very often of president karzai. just walk us through why that distrust exists. >> well, there's enormous distrust. and in full candor, i was one of those american officials who was involved at the beginning because after 9/11, president bush appointed me as the u.s. coordinator for the future of afghanistan. so like you, i knew him before he was the president and i worked with him fairly closely. he's under enormous pressures, but he often does and says different things to assuage different audiences. and at the end of the day, he obviously cares most about his survival. and if that means working with us, great. if that means opposing us or undermining us, he's prepared to do that, as well. so we have to be very careful about using the word partner oror

ally. and he's been isolated for a long time. and he's an extraordinarily difficult person. that said, i'm not quite sure what the alternatives are in afghanistan. it has to be someone from a dominant tribe. and karzai is obviously from there. and if he were to leave office one way or another, putting that country on a trajectory where in any way it's functioning well i think is an enormous question which calls in to question even more fundamentally what is it the united states is going to have to show for this enormous investment over the past decade of lies and money. and no matter again, whatever it is we do or don't do with the residual force, i would argue that historians will be extraordinarily skeptical and critical, not of the u.s. decision to go into get involved in afghanistan right after 9/11, but of the decision made by president obama to triple u.s. force levels and to try to get ambitious to try to nationwide

in that country and build up a self sustaining country. i think that entire decision and policy is going to prove to be extraordinarily controversial. >> he didn't only double down in afghanistan, president obama tripled down in terms of tripling the number of u.s. troops. this has clearly become president obama's war, so he's got a lot at stake. let's tee a quick break. we'll a wait these two presidents and continue our special coverage right after this. business. or protect your family with a will or living trust. and you'd like the help of an attorney. at legalzoom a legal plan attorney is available in most states with every personalized document to answer questions. get started at legalzoom.com today. and now you're protected.

welcome back. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. we're awaiting the president of the united states and the president of afghanistan. they've been meeting in the oval office, very important meeting on the future of u.s./afghan relations. the united states still has 66,000 troops in afghanistan right now. most of them are supposed to stay there throughout this year. the withdrawal will really get going next year, 2014. all u.s. troops, all u.s. troops, are supposed to be out of afghanistan by the end of 2014. although negotiations are now under way to see what kind of troop presence will continue after 2014 if any. there could be zero u.s. troops, 3,000, 6,000, 9,000. these are among the issues being discussed right now. another critically important issue, how many aid, how much economic assistance are military assistance will u.s. taxpayers to continue to provide to

afghanistan. right now it's still costing about $100 billion a year for the united states to maintain that extensive troop presence in afghanistan. the u.s. had been engaged in afghanistan now for more than ten years. this is clearly the longest war in american history. let me bring glor kia borger in. politically a lot of americans saying why not spend all that money to build schools and roads in the united states as opposed to building schools and roads in afghanistan. >> i think the public is very sensitive to that right now. and i also think the president is sensitive to that himself as is the pentagon because of course they're facing these huge cuts and every dollar has to be accounted for. over half the american public believes things are not going well in afghanistan, so the question is, how much political capital does the president want to spend by keeping a larger

number of troops there on the ground. i mean, i have been told by a few people that the zero option is really more of a negotiating ploy than anything else, that it's not likely to be a zero option. but there is a large difference between zero and 15,000. >> chris, the u.s. wanted to keep a few thousand troops in iraq, but couldn't because the iraqi government or the prime minister maliki refused to give them immunity from iraqi prosecution and the u.s. said no troops will stay if they'll be subjected to being arrested by iraqi police, if you will. here is the question. will the afghan leadership, the president, hamid karzai, agree to give any remaining troops there after 2014 immunity from afghan prosecution? >> it remains to be seen. but i spoke with a senior defense official yesterday who has spoken with the afghan delegation many times and he said sovereignty is very, very important to president karzai.

but that karzai sees sovereignty more in the prism of owning those presence. prison. he doesn't like the idea of being u.s. impolicening afghans. he may be more flexible to troops. he didn't see as karzai as inflex only in flexible as the iraqi government. iraq felt to some extent they could handle things on their own and they didn't want the u.s. there. >> what do you think, richard haass, how big potentially is an issue? >> it didn't work out in iraq only in part for the reasons you mentioned. but we didn't push terribly hard. the administration i believe was comfortable with the idea of a full withdrawal from iraq because that had been something

the president had talked about. i think here you could walk this out. this is a sticking point in every base negotiation we have, in every time we want to keep u.s. troops in a foreign country. the most difficult issue is always the question of whether local laws apply, for example, american serviceman or woman gets in to an automobile accident or fight, does he have to go to local court, go to a local prison, do we take custody and deal with it. we've worked this other dozens if not hundreds of times around the world. and in my experience you can almost always work it out when the local government and u.s. government want something, want there to be the basis for keeping u.s. forces inside the country. >> you know former senator chuck hagel, richard. i've covered him for many years. he was skeptical about the wars in iraq and afghanistan for that matter and if he's confirmed as the next defense secretary, where do you think he personally will come down on keeping a military presence in

afghanistan? >> he and i have talked about afghanistan. we've not talked about that particular issue. my hunch is he would be comfortable as are most people in the national security realm, although i won't speak for him, about keeping a residual force. the cost would be relatively small, it would allow to you do some continued training and advising. it would allow to you do limited counterterrorism. it avoids looking like you're pulling out the rug. so in some way it is protects the united states somewhat from the argument that we've quote/unquote abandoned afghanistan although after a decade it's hard to argue that we would be doing so. so the only danger it seems to me is if you have small forces, they often can accomplish a lot and are they there to baby-sit, to use a terrible phrase, a country that's unraveling. what do you do if things get bad. you don't want to beef them up. do you pull out under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. so the biggest risk it seems to me whenever you keep small forces in a messy situation is

not to really change the trajectory of things on the ground. so if i were insh shoes or the president's shoes, that's the biggest question, can a small force accomplish fluff to offset the risks that could be proved impotent in the face of events. >> i think brianna keilar can join us right now. brianna, are we getting closer, are the seats filling up? >> that's right, we got the two minute warning before president obama comes in and we're starting to see problems of the u.s. delegation trickle in to the room. but this is the third time we've been in the east room this week before the other two times for personnel appointments. and those appointments to the cabinet will be key of course in this relationship between the u.s. and afghanistan. in fact it was in 2008 when then senators joe biden, chuck hagel and john kerry, chuck hagel his

pick to be defense secretary, john kerry his pick to head up the state department, went to afghanistan and actually met with hamid karzai, had a very contentious meeting with him as they confronted the issue of corruption in afghanistan. so certainly this is a relationships that that has had tension over the years and that is something as well that these new picks for the national security team and foreign relations team are going to be confronting and they certainly have experience with, wolf. >> all right. if we're in that two minute warning, i think they will be announcing the introduction of the proptwo presidents walking will. an opening statement by president obama and then karzai and then questions. very limited number of questions. i think two questions maybe from each side from the afghan side frrks t, from the u.s. side and then they will answer questions. they've been meeting in the oval office now.

this follows president karzai's meetings yesterday with the secretary of state hillary clinton, earlier with defense secretary leon panetta, an important visit to the united states. lots of questions, though, about can karzai really be trusted by the u.s., can he really deliver, does he have the clout within his own country to make things work and what about al qaeda in afghanistan, how strong is al qaeda. we've heard in recent weeks and months that the kaud presenal q presence is limited. let's listen to their opening statements. >> good afternoon, everybody. please have a seat. it is my pleasure to welcome president karzai back to the white house as well as his delegation. we last saw each other during the nato summit in my hometown in chicago, a city that reflects the friendship between our

peoples. so mr. president, welcome. we meet at a critical moment. the 33,000 additional forces that i ordered to afghanistan have served with honor, they've completed their mission and as promised returned home this past fall. the transition is well under way. and soon nearly 90% of afghans will live in areas where afghan forces are in the lead for their own security. this year will mark another milestone. afghan forces will take the lead for security across the entire country. and by the end of 2014, the transition will be complete. afghans will have full responsibility for their security and this war will come to a responsible end. this progress is only possible because the incredible sacrifices of our troops and our diplomats, the forces of our

many coalition partners, and the afghan people who have endured extraordinary hardship. in this war, more than 2,000 of america's sons and daughters have given their lives. these are patriots that we honor today, tomorrow and forever. and as we announced today, the next month, i will present our nation's highest military decoration, the medal of honor, to staff sergeant clinton for his that heroic service in afghanistan. today because of the courage of our citizens, president karzai and i have been able to review our shared strategy. with the devastating blows we've struck against al qaeda, our core objective, the reason we went to war in the first place, is now within reach. ensuring that al qaeda can never again use afghanistan to launch attacks against our country. at the same time, we pushed the

taliban out of their strong holds. today most major cities and most afghans are more secure and in-sur sgents have continued to lose territory. mean while, afghan forces continue to grow stronger. as planned, some 352,000 afghan soldiers and police are now in training or on duty. most missions are already being led by afghan forces. and of all the men and women in uniform in afghanistan, the vast majority are afghans who are fighting and dying for their country every day. we still face significant challenges. but because this progress, our transition is on track. at the nato summit last year, we agreed with our coalition partners that afghan forces will take the lead for security in mid 2013. president karzai and his team have been here for several days. we've shared the vision for how we'll move ahead. we've consulted with our

coalition partners and we will continue to do so. and today we agreed that as of afghan forces take the lead and as president karzai announces the final phase of the transition, coalition forces will move to a support role this spring. our troops will continue to fight alongside afghans when needed, but let me say it as plainly as i can. starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission. training, advising, assisting afghan forces. it will be a historic moment and another step toward full afghan sovereignty, something i know president karzai cares deeply about as do the afghan people. this sets the stage for the further reduction of coalition forces. we've lettered reduced our presence in afghanistan to roughly 66,000 u.s. troops. i've pledged we'll continue to bring our forces home at a steady pace and in the coming

months i'll announce the next face of our responsible drawdown that protects the gains our troops have made. president karzai and i also discussed the nature of our security cooperation after 2014. our teams continue to work toward a security agreement and as they do, ty will be guided by our respect for afghan sovereignty and by our two long term tasks which will be very specific and very narrow. first, training and assisting afghan forces and second, targeting counterterrorism missions -- targeted counterterrorism missions against al qaeda and its affiliates. our discussions will focus on how best to achieve these two tasks after 2014 and it's our hope that we can reach an agreement this year. ultimately security gains must be matched by political progress. so we recommitted our nations to a reconciliation process between the afghan government and the taliban. president karzai updated me on

the afghan government erode map to peace and today we agree that had this process should be advanced by the opening of the taliban office to facilitate talks. reconciliation also would requires constructive support from across the region including pakistan. we welcome recent steps that have been taken in that regard and we'll look for more tangible steps because a stable and secure afghanistan is in the interests not only the afghan people and the united states but of the entire region. and finally we reaffirmed the strategic part they are shnersh last year. this includes deepening ties of trade, commerce, strengthening institutions, development, education, and opportunities for all afghans. men and women, boys and girls. and this sends a clear message to afghans and to the regions as afghans stand up, they will not stand alone. the united states and the world stands with them.

now, let me close by saying that this continues to be a very difficult mission. our forces continue to serve and make tremendous sacrifices every day. the afghan people make significant sacrifices every day. afghan forces still need to grow stronger. we remain vigilant against insider attacks. lasting peace and security will require governance and development that delivers for the afghan people. and an end to safe havens for al qaeda and its i wilk. all this will continue to be our work. but our path is clear and we're moving forward. every day more afghans are stepping up and taking responsibility for their own security and as they do, our troops will come home. next year this long war will come to a responsible end. president karzai, i thank you and your delegation for the progress we've made together and for your commitment to the goals that we share. a strong and sovereign

afghanistan where afghans find security, peace, prosperity and dignity and in pursuit of that future, afghanistan will have a long term partner in the united states of america. mr. president. >> thank you very much, mr. president, for the very gracious and warm welcome. to me and the afghan delegation on this visit to washington. and for appearing with us as i mentioned during our talks in the house with all the crowds that we have there. the president and i discussed today in great detail all the relevance issues between the two countries. i was happy to see that we have made progress on some of the important issues for afghanistan

concerning afghan sovereignty, we agreed on the complete retain of detention centers and detainees to afghan sovereignty. and that this will be implemented soon after my return to afghanistan. we also discussed all aspects of transition to afghan governance and security. i'm very happy to hear from the president as we also discussed earlier that in spring this year, the afghan forces will be fully responsible for providing security and protection to the afghan people. and that the international forces, the american forces, will be no longer presence in

the villages, that it will be the task of the afghan forces to provide for the afghan people in security and protection. that we also agreed on the steps that we should be taking in the peace process which is of highest priority to afghanistan. we agreed on allowing a taliban office where the taliban will engage in direct talks with the representatives of the afghan high council for peace, where we'll be seeking the help of relevant reasonable countries including pakistan. we'll be trying our best together with the united states and our other allies to return peace and stability to afghanistan as soon as possible.

and employing all the means that we have within our power to do that, so can live in security and peace and work for their prosperity and educate their children. the president and i also discussed the economic transition in afghanistan and all that entails for afghanistan. once the transition to afghan forces is completed, once the bulk of the international forces are withdrawn from afghanistan, we hope that the dividends of that transition, economically to afghanistan, will be beneficial to the afghan people and will not have adverse effects on afghani economy and the prosperity that we have gained. in the past many years. we also discussed the issue of election in afghanistan and the importance of election for the afghan people and with the hope that we will be conducting a free and fair election in

afghanistan where our friends and the international community in particular the united states will be assisting in conducting those elections. of course, where afghanistan will have the right environment for conducting elections without interference and without -- and due concern in that regard for the afghan people. we also discussed in a bit of detail and in the environment that we have all aspects of the bilateral security agreement between afghanistan and the united states and i informed the president that the afghan people already in the -- that we called for, the strategic partnership agreement between the united states have given their approval

to the relationship and it is good for afghanistan. so that conflicts the bilateral security agreement as one that afghan people approve and i'm sure we will conduct it in detail where both the interests of the united states and the interests of afghanistan will be kept in mind. we had a number of other issues also to talk about. during our conversations, and perhaps many times in the conversation, beginning with the conversation, of course, i thanked the president for the help that the united states has given to afghan people, for all that we have gained in the past ten years. and that those gains will be kept by any standard while we're working for peace and stability in afghanistan, including the respect for afghan constitutions. i also thanked the president and

endorsed with him the sacrifices of american men and women in uniform, and those of other countries, accordingly i also informed president obama of the sacrifices of the afghan people, the immense sacrifices of the afghan people in the past ten years, both for the servicemen and of the afghan people. going back to afghanistan this evening to bring to the afghan people the news of afghanistan standing shoulder to shoulder with america as is sovereign independent country, but in cooperation and in partnership. thank you, mr. president, for the hospitality. >> thank you very much, mr. president. >> we got two questions each, i

think, from u.s. and afghan press. we'll start with scott wilson of "the washington post". >> thank you mr. president, mr. karzai. mr. president, does moving up the deadline for the transition to an afghan security role lead to the spring that you'll be winding down u.s. troops faster than you expected this year? and specifically as possible, how many troops do you expect to leave in afghanistan beyond 2014 for the two missions you outlined and would you consider leaving any troops in afghanistan beyond that date without an immediate agreement for their actions? and president karzai, you spoke about the threats to your nation's sovereign sy. i wonder if you'll be working on behalf of an agreement to keep some forces in afghanistan after the 2014 date and how many u.s. troops you would accept after that time. thank you. >> okay.

scott, our first task has been to meet the transition plan that we set first in lisbon, then in chicago. and because of the progress that has been made by our troops, because of the progress that has been made in terms of afghan security forces, their capacity to take the lead, we are able to meet those goals and accelerate them somewhat. so let me repeat, what's going to happen this spring is that afghans will be in the lead throughout the country. that doesn't mean that coalition forces including u.s. forces are no longer fighting. they will still be fighting alongside afghan troops. it does mean, though, that afghans will have taken the lead and our presence, the nature of our work, will be different. we'll be in a training,

assisting, advising role. obviously we will still have troops there and that means that our men and women will still be in harm's way, that there will still be the need for force protecti protection. the environment is going to still be very dangerous. but what we have seen is that afghan soldiers are stepping up at great risk to themselves. and that allows us then to make this transition during the spring. what that translates into precisely in terms of how this drawdown of u.s. troop proceeds is something that isn't yet fully determined. i'm going to be over the coming weeks getting recommendations from general alan and other commanders on the ground they will be designing and shaping a responsible plan to make sure

that we're not losing the gains already have been made, to make sure we're in a position to support afghan units when they're in theater. and to make sure that our folks are also protected even as we're drawing down. so i can't give you a precise number at this point. i'll probably make a separate announcement once i've gotten recommendations from troops -- from the generals and our commanders in terms of what that drawdown might look like. with respect to post 2014, we have got two goals. and our main conversation today was establishing a meeting of the minds in terms of what those goals would be with a follow-on presence of u.s. troops. number one, to train, assist and advise afghan forces so that they can maintain their own security, and, number two, making sure we can continue to

go after remnants of al qaeda or other affiliates that might threaten our homeland. that is a very limited mission. and it is not one that would require the same kind of footprint, obviously, that we have had over the last ten years in afghanistan. similar to the issue of drawdown, i'm still getting recommendations from pentagon, and our commanders on the ground in terms of what that would look like. and when we have more information about that, i will be describing that to the american people. i think president karzai's primary concern and obviously you'll hear directly from him, is making sure that afghan sovereignty is respected. and if we have a follow-on force of any sort, past 2014, it has got to be at the invitation